The Sparrow Flies North for the Summer (Valduggery)

Tickles and Angry Men

That night, before they separated into their own rooms, Valkyrie went over and hugged Skulduggery.
"Thank you for earlier," she whispered, holding him tight, "I needed to get back to the reality of things and stop wallowing in self-pity and guilt."
He hugged her back. "Just never leave again, okay? Promise me."

She felt so delicate in his arms, warming up his whole body. Her strong arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and his bony ones on hers. They were almost the same size now; Valkyrie had grown. She was now up to his nose, whereas before she measured the same as his mouth.

"I promise." She whispered back, tickling his neck with her breath. He shivered a little, stepping back suddenly.
At first, she looked hurt as he suddenly ended the hug, but she soon replaced it with mock innocence.
"You did lose your temper a bit, though..."
"I had every right to!" He laughed at her expression.
"Goodnight, Skul. And thanks again. For being there."
"Goodnight Val."

*****

He hadn't meant to step away like that. Nor had he wanted to. But when her breath had tickled him like that, he had felt something... Different. Something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

As he settled down on the bed for meditation, he looked down at his hands. Hands stripped of flesh, of muscle and tendons and veins. He rolled up his sleeves. Then his trouser leg. Nothing but hard, thin bone.

He wasn't a man. Not anymore. He was the ghost of someone who had lived a long time ago, and who's life had come to a tragic end. His anger had brought him back, kept him from resting peacefully. And then he had turned into a monster...

He sighed. They were two of a kind, him and Valkyrie. They had both housed people that were hated by everyone, who did evil things for the sake of doing them. But Darquesse didn't define Valkyrie. And Vile didn't define Skulduggery.
But a heap of bones does, apparently.

Why was he even thinking these things? Why did he suddenly care if he was human or not?
And then he realised why.
And hated himself for it.

He couldn't think that. That was wrong. Valkyrie was young, had her whole life ahead of her. She deserved someone who really liked her... someone with skin...

He shook himself mentally.
I'm probably over reacting, he thought to himself, rolling down his sleeves and trouser leg. After all, she is my best friend; I'm probably still getting over her being back. He smiled. She was back. After five long, meaningless years, she was back.

And he was never letting her go again.

*****

He awoke from his meditation to muffled cries from Valkyrie's room. It was dark; they hadn't left any lights on.
He quietly got out of bed, opened the door, forgot the time and slammed it behind him. He froze.

There were some shouts from the other rooms, "Keep it down!", "Some of us are trying to sleep!", but the crying didn't cease. So he crept into her room to find her fast asleep, but tossing from side to side, agitated. She let out another cry.

She must be dreaming, he thought to himself.

"Val," he whispered, nudging her. "Val, wake up."

She gasped and sat up. Then lay back down, groaning.

"What are you doing, Skul?"

He hesitated. She didn't seem that scared...

"You were having a nightmare."

"No, I wasn't."

"But you were tossing and crying-"

"In my dream, I was a baby."

He looked at her. "And you call me weird?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I wasn't actually a baby... I was just looking from its point of view."

"Ah, I see."

"Really?"

"No."

She sighed. "Well, I was a baby, and I was playing with my toys. They were really cool; there was a China doll, a Ghastly teddy and - don't ask me why - a Fletcher jack-in-the-box."

Skulduggery laughed at that. "What was his hair like?"

"As annoying as usual."

They both laughed.

"So, yeah, I was playing with my toys, when suddenly you stepped into the room."

"Me?"

"Yup. You came over and picked me -well, the baby - up, and started to swing it around. And then you started to tickle me - it." She crinkled her nose.

"Tickled you, eh?"

"Tickled. I hate tickles."

"Then you'll hate me for this," he said in a dead serious voice, advancing upon Valkyrie slowly.

Her smile faded.

"Skul, you're not serious, right?"

He didn't stop coming towards her.

"Skul..." he didn't respond.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, if you don't stop right now, I'll call your Bentley a 'he'!"

He stopped.

"Really? That worked?"

"No."

And he lunged.

"Sku- AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHANOOOOOOOOHAHAHAHA!"

She had tears streaming down her face, stitches in her sides, and a grin on her face.

"SKUHAHAHAHSKULDUGERYHAHAHAHSTOOOOOOOPAHA!!"

"MWAHAHAHAHA!" Skulduggery laughed.

"OI!" Shouted the angry man from the room text door, "CUT-IT-OUT!"

"Aw, you're no fun!" Skulduggery moaned like a toddler, causing her to erupt into even more laughter.

"I MEAN IT! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP SO PLEASE GO-TO-SLEEP!"

Then he stormed off.

The giddy pair looked at each other, and laughed.

When they'd finally calmed down, Valkyrie asked, "What was that about?"

Skulduggery shrugged. "I wanted to make up for shouting at you."

"By tickling me? Does anyone actually like tickles? It's torture with a smile!"

"Hmm... maybe we should try it during interrogations? You never know, we might get some answers from those who's will isn't strong enough..."

She laughed.

He loved her laugh.

What?!

"LIKE I MEANT LIKE!"

She looked at him.

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"What did I say? I'm confused."

"You just randomly shouted 'like I meant like'! What does that even mean?"

"Uhh..."

"Skul?"

"I was just thinking about this hotel."

"Oh?"

"Yes; this hotel. I was thinking of maybe giving a review on the way out; and unfortunately, due to the bed smelling weird, I would only go as far as to say I like it."

She stared at him.

"Let's just pretend that the last two minutes of conversation never happened, shall we?"

She stared at him. He stared at her.

And then she guffawed with laughter.

He, too, burst into a fit of giggles.

"OI!" Screamed the angry man from the room next door.